Coin-counting apparatus



0. E. SCHNITZSPAHN. COIN CNOUNTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJB, |91?. 1,347,179. Patented July 20,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I /9 j am A W 35 26 26 J l 71 Y z zz Z3 Z5 6 5 6 2 Q f/ iff 7 7 Patented July 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n. Vy

0. E. SCHNITZSPAHN. COIN COUN'I'INGl APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I8. 1917.

j.. HHNHIHNLH 3,/

` UNITED Is'lzxres OSCAR E. SCHNITZSPAHN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

GOIN-COUNTING AFPARATUS.

f Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented July 20, 1920.

'Application filed August 1S, 1917. Serial No. 1865924. v

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, OSCAR E. ScHNrrzsrAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Counting Apparatus, of which the following is-a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for accurately counting a mass of disarranged coins and spreading the same out for inspection and then depositing them in stacking tubes, the primary object of this improvement being to reduce the time and effort necessary for this operation' In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the counting apparatus embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 `are vertical transverse sections taken on lines 2 2 and 3 3, Fig. 4, respectively. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus with the top tilting bars and coin tracks omitted. Fig. 5 isa vertical longitudinal section taken on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Figf. is a perspective view of the mandrel-'used in making the paper stack-retainers or coin tubes.

Similar characters'of reference indicate correspondingl parts throughout the several views. f

` My improvements are associated with a coin spreading device 4which comprises an upwardly iiared feed tube 1 open at the top and provided with a longitudinal controlling bar 2 at the bottom thereof permitting the .tube to be removed from the apparatus and coins 36 poured therein without permitting said coins to drop straight through said tube. AY transverse notch 3.is provided at the rear and lower end of said tube to permit the lowermost coin to be slid out horizontally and rearwardly therefrom. After the feed tube has been loaded with coins, the controlling bar, which hasV a forward longitudinal extension 4 forming a guide shoe, is placed longitudinally in the rear end 'of one of the upwardly opening channel-shaped counting tracks, racks or rails 5 and then the tube is moved forwardly. As said tube passes successively over the pairs of teeth or lugs 6 which project upwardly from n the flanges of said track, the coins are retained one after another by said lug pairs, the number of coins deposited Von veach track depending on the number of lug pairs. The tube is then picked up and the controlling bar inserted into the rear end of the channel of the next track and again moved forwardly and so on continuously, depending on the number of tracks or on the number of coins to be counted. The invention so far Vdescribed is shown in Letters Patent of the form .the same lare constructed as follows 7 represents a main frame having the form of a box which comprises two longitudinal walls 8, frontand rear end walls 9, and a top 10. The top of the frame is provided with a longitudinal slot in which are arranged one or more horizontal longitudinal tilting bars 12, two of such bars being shown as an example. Each of these tilting bars is pivoted on-the frame adjacent to one of its longitudinal edges so as to be capable of depressing its opposite longitudinal edge. This pivotal connection preferably 4comprises two movable hinge leaves 13, 13

secured to opposite ends of the tilting bar and connected by pintles 14, 14 to liXed hinge leaves 15 15 on the adjacent parts of the frame, as shown inV Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. One of the coin counting tracks or rails is arranged lengthwise on each of these tilting bars adjacent to the heel thereof so that when the toe thereof is depressed the coins which have been spread out over the respective tracks are caused to slide laterally and downwardly off the same. It will be noted that the pintles 14 are some distanceJ in front of the rear longitudinal edge of the tilting bars, so vthat not only is the outer edge of.

each coin allowed to drop when the track is tilted but the opposite or inner edge of the coin is given a decided upward kick resulting in its dislocation even when very sticky. Various means may be employed for rocking the tilting bars, those shown in the drawings being vsatisfactory 'and Vcoinprisng a vertically zmovable slide 35 guided `in a way 16 on the inner side of the frame below the top thereofand vprovidedY with an inwardly projecting arm 1T and 'an 'out' wardly projecting handle or ingerpiece 18.

' The inner arm 17 is connected with the movable hinge leaves of the tilting bars bylinks 149 and the Vhandle projects outwardly through a vertical slet 20 iii "the frame so v vthat the same may be manipulated from the V exterior'of the frame. 21 "rej'jresents a spring which connects the 'slide with-'the lmain,'frameand operates to yieldinglyihold the slidein anfelevated positionand theltiltingbars and'ytracks in a horizntalpositioii.

Asthe coins drop frein eaclitilting bar the same fall into a vrunway" 6r `guidew'ay which lis arranged belowlthe eoinpanioii tiltingfbar and which directs the 'same 'intoa suitable receptacle. Eachof these 'g'uideways c'om- 'prises 'two longitudinal side -wztllsl22, 22, a

'bottom 23 Ainclining "from the upper rea'rxor receiving end to the lower front 'delivery -Aendfa rear end lwall 24 and a 'frontend wall 25 having Voutlet openings 26.

VThe bottoms of both coin `runways are Ypreferably formedon a removablepanel 1l whichA also carries the front"and :r ear walls 'of'both `runways, both longitudinal walls of one runway and one'longitudinal fwlall` of Athe other runway wliilethe other longitudiynal wall `of Vthe last "mentionedfrinway vis fixedv` on tlierframe. The panel and the f parts mounted thereon Vare vheld in position on vthe frame by 'means vof a turn button "2 7 pivoted on'the underside of the paneland 'enat its opposite ends with shoulders 28, 2 8' o n opposite sides of the frame. This arrangement permits the quick 'removalbf thebottom panel 'and Vthe longitudinal walls securedtheieto 'thus ekposing all ,pafts, so

that 'any 'sticking or jamming of'Y the toms, which might possibly occur, canjbefeasily remedied. Theopen upp'erend ofeach coin runway cnlarges or flares upwardly throughout the length thereof 'so th'at lthe coins enter the same readily, upon depressing the companion tilting` bar. v.Each 'of the runways also graduallyenl'arges from its rearend toward its front end by diverging its side walls in this direction, thereby preventing the ycoins which roll vedgewise ydown the inclined bottom Vthereof from becoming jammed in the guideway and clogging the same. v e Y As the coins fall from the tracks and tiltting bars into the coin runways'they Vland Vedgewise on the bottom -thereof androll down the .sameto the discharge end into a chute29 which receives the coins from `both runways. From this chute the coins v may be delivered into a bagy or other Vreceptacle of any suitable construction.

If the coins being counted are to be stacked and wrapped 'stacking tube,-

iiitolrolls or ipackages, "a 'stackinr tube 3U which is provided withian 'uppei-*llared end adapted to be arranged below the outlet of Ithe chute and receive the coins from the lat-V ,IM hun. um U ,-,i l f1 ter is ,Y employed foil` this purpose. lhis vstacking,tubiis preferably detachably coning "tube is provided a dor V32 `wlri'ich Vupon being opened permits the removal of facilitating the wrapping 1 "coins l'intorolls or packages, `a previouslyfprepared lpaper tube 33 of the proper size and closed ato'ne Aend 1may lbe placed inside-of 'the-stacking t'ubefsolthat the coins will feed directly open end. Alfter removal (from `the' stacking 'tubethe i'll maybefcompleted by simply iclosing or crimping inthe ends.

The wrapping ttubes `may be 'formed around acylindricallmandrel 34 `shown in LFig. G, or anyfther'suitable'manner.

'In operating the apparatus, the :coins are dduinj'aed,V into the feeding 4or `counting 'tube 1, whose 'lower e'ndfis wmoved Vsuccessively forward Vover A'each cbuiiting track, rackr 'remove a definite number of coins *from g4the feed :tube whi'eh are f now spread i out on 'the ijac'l'is, so *that "any "spurious )'pi'ece's 'or `vacant places :can be quickly'dete'ctetl land cared for. The fingerpiecetirfhandle l1'8 is then 'depressed causing thfe *tilting bars to drop their load linto `the "r'iiiiwaysfdwn which the coins roll into the chute 29 -1and lthen drop into the tubular paper wrapper inserted ist@ uit amiangftube eo. The door of thelatter thenopened,'ftheipaper tube which is now lled :with "a `stack of "coins is remove'dandthe upper end oftheA wrapper foldedl inwardly, thereby completing thepacka'geor "rollof coins. AThis machine permits eitieme 'rapidity 'and lreliability "of counting, examining "and wrapping coins without :necessitating "a separate 'apparatus forleach. sii'e of coin inasmuch "one apparatus .will take care :offani'imberzof sizes 'within certain limits, while )greatly varying vsizes merely require 'separate 'sets of tubes.V Y j Y su'fingin'g lrack adapted to support the lcoins deposited thereon softhatvtheir "flat 'sides are arranged horiont'lly, fand'la guideway'iiito which' the coins "are discharged 'directly f i'm rack upon "tilting the latter and which is of lsuchuwidth vthat Athe coinsy are held withtheir flat sides in a vertical position vand which has an inclined loottonn upon which the coins roll at their edges length- Wise of said guide-Way.

2. A coin counter comprising a frame, a tilting bar pivoted on said frame to turn vertically, a coin receiving rack mounted on said bar, a runway adapted to receive the coins from said rack upon tipping the same and the tilting bar, and means for turning said bar comprising a vertically movable slide guided on the frame and provided with a handle, a link connecting said slide with said bar, and a spring connected with said slide and frame and operating to hold said rack and associated parts yieldingly in their normal position.

3. A coin counter comprising a rack upon which the coins are adapted to be placed, means for turning said rack vertically, and a runway which is adapted to receive the coins on their edge from said rack and direct the same to a receptacle and which gradually increases in Width from its receiving end toward its delivery end.

OSCAR E. SCHNITZSPAHN. 

